Five tips to help avoid the biggest home renovation blunders
April 17, 2012by Rick McDermott, AIARDM Architecture.com
Do you love your neighborhood, but your house is old and out-of-date? Do lifestyle changes have you struggling in your current space? Has disaster put your home in a state of disrepair? These are just a few examples of why you might choose to renovate. Here’s five tips to get you started on the right track.
1. Write out a wish list....

The mild winter weather has allowed the construction to move quickly.
The Master Closet is primed and ready to paint.
With all of the structure exposed, the detailing in the screened porch has been challanging but Hurst Construction has been doing a great job.
The photo on the left shows the jig needed to make the cuts in the top of the posts where the rafters will sit.
...

Adapting Your Home for a Changing Lifestyle
(left to right) 1.Grab bars were incorporated throughout the bathroom for ease of movement. 2. In addition to the mirror above the vanity a full height mirror was added. You can also see the entry to the roll-in shower and the shower seat as well as the grab bar at the toilet. 3. In order to make the dishwasher more accessible it was raised to...

Keep an eye out in upcoming KCH&G issues for some photos of our project. Rick and I went out during the photoshoot to take a look at the finished and furnished project. The clients are incredibly happy with the end result and have transforned (with our help) a stark and dated place into something fantastic. I took a few pics while Alistair Tutton worked his magic.
We spent a lot of time with Hurst Construction and with Arcways to make...

And then there was paint! To say that the paint in this room is subtle would be an understatement. The trim and ceiling is satin and the walls are flat. This slight difference in finish is enough that they appear to be a different color.
We replicated the existing shelves on the right with another set. This simplified this corner and provided some more much needed storage space.
Here is a view of the desk piece and the...

There are a lot of cool things out there, products especially, that we come across in magazines, blogs or just cruising around the web and its tough to keep track of them or recall them when you might be able to use them in a project or show them to a client. Sure you could bookmark them on your computer or create a list of links on the server somewhere but this is architecture and we are visual people. We...

A beautiful day for a site visit out at Lake Quivira. The warm weather means construction hasn't skipped a beat.
The front isn't a whole lot more complete with the exception of the stone work. Because there is a belt of cast stone between the stone and stucco, the mason can only go so far and the stucco can't be started until that is installed.
The stone work on the base has also advanced as fas as it...

February 1, 2012
by Kurt Kraisinger, RLA, LEED AP
Principal, Lorax Design Group
www.loraxdesigngroup.com
Are you dreaming of a patio, pergola structure or new swimming pool in your backyard? Or maybe you’re thinking about an outdoor kitchen, a stone fireplace, a water feature or a landscape full of four-season color? For those homeowners who don’t want to go down the path of a “do-it-yourself” job, you may need the assistance of an architect or a landscape architect (who often work in collaboration with one...

With the pool issue resolved, Hurst Construction has taken advantage of the unseasonably warm weather to pour the foundations and start the framing.
The screened porch foundation is sitting on a pool full of concrete.
The retaining walls on the south side of the house create a lawn that will help replace some of the backyard that will be taken up with the new screened porch and patio.
...

Windows are in and shingles are on. It is hard to see but the panel trim is in as well and looks great.
A view of the inside of the 2nd floor bedroom. The bump-out is sized for a king-size bed and the windows are located high enough to allow for a headboard and privacy from the street.
This is the addition to the back of the house. Much smaller, it houses the laundry and an enlarged closet....